Spotted fever rickettsioses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of “Fever with Purpuric Rash” in Saudi Arabia: A Case report

Abstract

There is a paucity of literature about human spotted fever rickettsioses (SFR) from the Arab Gulf Region, including Saudi Arabia. Here, we present an elderly Saudi man who had fever, headache, purpuric maculopapular skin rash, and an eschar. Together, the clinical findings, the serologic positivity, the presence of a vector tick in addition to the histopathologic changes, and the dramatic clinical response to oral doxycycline confirmed the diagnosis of SFR. This may be the first case of SFR reported to the health-care authorities in Saudi Arabia. We recommend considering SFR in the differential diagnosis of “fever with purpuric rash” in Saudi Arabia. Ideally, treatment with a tetracycline antibiotic should be considered for patients with fever and headache even before a purpuric rash develops.